A Nation working together for better Health

Mulu National Park Health Clinic

Gunung Mulu National Park in Baram District of Miri in Sarawak is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that encompasses caves and karst formations in a mountainous equatorial rainforest setting. The park is famous for its caves and the expeditions that have been mounted to explore them and their surrounding rainforest, most notably the Royal Geographical Society Expedition of 1977–1978, which saw over 100 scientists in the field for 15 months. This initiated a series of over 20 expeditions now drawn together as the Mulu Caves Project.

The national park is named after Mount Mulu, the second highest mountain in Sarawak. It covers an area of 52,864 hectares. Gunung Mulu National Park is famous for its limestone karst formations. Features include enormous caves, vast cave networks, rock pinnacles, cliffs and gorges. Mount Mulu is a sandstone mountain rising to 2,376 m (7,795 ft). There are four “show caves” namely the Deer, Lang, Clearwater and Wind caves.

Gunung Mulu National Park has the largest known natural chamber or room – Sarawak Chamber, found in Gua Nasib Bagus. It is 2,300 feet (700 m) long, 1,300 feet (396 m) wide and at least 230 feet (70 m) high. It has been said that the chamber is so big that it could accommodate about 40 Boeing 747s, without overlapping their wings. The nearby Deer Cave is one of the largest single cave passages in the world.

Mulu National Park can be reached either by a 30-minute MasWing ATR-72 flight from Miri, a 90-minute MasWing ATR-72 flight from Kuching, or an 8-hour boat ride from Marudi town.

Mulu National Park Health Clinic is located within the Batu Bungan Resettlement Area for the Penans. The other nearby settlements that are under the clinic’s operational area are Kampung Sungai Melinau, Sungai Pala, Mulu Airport, Mulu National Park, Royal Mulu Resort and Long Iman. It serves a population of 973 people, majority of whom are the Penans. Other ethnic groups include Berawan, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Lunbawang, Tering, Kiput, Saban and Tabun. This clinic is also frequently visited by foreigners who are tourists and visitors to Mulu National Park.

The clinic started off as Pusat Kesihatan Kecil on 26 October 1992 and was housed in one Forestry department’s building. The present clinic building was built and ready in 1998. It started its operation on 6th January 1998.

The first Medical Assistant who served this clinic was Mr Goh Chiaw Hoi (1992 – 1996), and first Community Nurse was Ms Monica Bungan (1995 – 1998). Resident Medical Officer was first posted to this clinic in 2010 with the posting of Dr Reuben Prashant Rao (2010-2011).